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BERMON 


PREACHED  IX  WESTMIN&TER  CHURCH, 


S^mclav  Mornino-,  Febrnarv  20,  1^9 


BY    THE    p  isT  oi: , 


:-■  C  LKYKLAXl)  : 

^^^^TRBANK-^    EE~\EDICT    ,t  CO.,    I'HINTKRS,    HP^RALD^  •  iriK  K 


l^'''. 


Wi^^ 


r^~^P''^^-  ;i^^^cTj-y    .„ 


-<r  C^    3  -X 


.1® 


•.'?/ 


SERMON 


CHURCH    MUSIC; 


PREACHED  IN  WESTMINSTER  CHURCH, 


SLinday  Morning,  Febriiarv  20,  1859. 


BY     THE     PASTOR, 

FREDERICK  T.  BROWN. 


CLEVELAND: 

FAIRBANKS,    BENEDICT    A    CO.,   PRINTERS,    HERALD    OFFICK. 

1859. 


PREFACE 


I  preached  this  sermon,  because  the  choir  of  my  church  having 
just  been  re-organized  and  enlarged,  and  an  organ  having  been 
procured,  I  wished  to  guard  against  the  choir  evils  t  had  seen  in 
some  other  churches  in  the  land  :  and,  in  the  outset,  establish  the 
principles  that  should,  as  it  seems  to  me,  govern  church  music.  — 
As  the  reader  will  see,  I  expressly  exculpated  the  Choir  of  my 
own  church  from  censure  ;  and  it  is  but  just  and  truthful  to  my- 
self to  say,  that  I  was  not  hitting  at  the  choirs  of  other  churches 
in   particular. 

I  publish  this  seraion,  because,  in  the  congregation  to  which  I 
minister,  it  has  been  much  talked  about  since  it  was  preached ;  and 
because  I  hope  the  truths  it  teaches  may  do  good  to  others,  not 
members  of  my  church  or  congregation.  The  sermon  as  published 
is  verbatim  as  it  was  preached.  I  dedicate  it  to  all  who  believe 
it  to  be  the  duty  of  the  people  to  praise  God,  the  duty  of  all  the 
people  to  praise  God  and  the  duty  of  the  choir  to  help  the  people 
to  praise  God. 

FREDERICK   T.   BROWN. 

WEBIMnrBTBB   PAKSOITAGB, 

Feb.  24th,  1859. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/serhmuOObrow 


SERMON 


Ephesians,  v:19. — Speaking  to  yourselves  in  psalms  and  hymns,  and 
spiritual  soogs,  singing  and  making  melody  in  your  heart  to  the  Lord. 

Psalms,  lxvii:3. — Let  the  people  praise  thee,  0  God  ;  let  all  the  people 
praise  thee. 

Psalm  cl. — Praise  ye  the  Lord.  Praise  God  in  his  sanctuary  :  praise 
him  in  the  firmament  of  his  power. — Praise  him  for  his  mighty  acts  : 
praise  him  according  to  his  excellent  greatness. — Praise  him  with  the 
sound  of  the  trumpet  :  praise  him  with  the  psaltery  and  harp. — Praise 
him  with  the  timbrel  and  dance  :  praise  him  with  stringed  instruments 
and  organs. — Praise  him  upon  the  loud  cymbals  :  praise  him  upon  the 
high-sounding  cymbals. — Let  every  thing  that  hath  breath  praise  the 
Lord. — Praise  ye  the  Lord. 

All  these  exhortations  for  praise,  are  for  praise  in 
connection  with,  or  rather  as  part  of,  the  public  worship 
of  the  sanctuary.  They  are  exhortations  to  praise  God  by 
a  church  choir,  in  singing,  and  with  instruments  of  music 
of  many  kinds.  They  are  exhortations  to  praise  God  by 
the  congregation,  in  singing  |)sahTL3,  and  hymns,  and 
spiritual  Eongs.  •  They  are  exhortations  to  praise  God  with 
instruments  and  in  singing,  by  the  choir,  and  the  whole 
congregation,  conjointly  playing  and  singing.  These  seem 
to  me  to  be  the  leading  principles  of  the  several  passages 
of  Scripture  I  have  taken  for  my  text  ;  and  from  which 
I  wish  to  preach  a  sermon  on  Church  Jfusic,  as  part  of 
the  public  worship  and  service  of  the  sanctuary. 


1  have  before  tliis,  in  the  Old  Round  Church,  preached 
ou  the  subject  of  churcli  music,  though  not  from  this  text. 
nor  in  the  form  of  presentation  1  shall  use  to-da3\  It 
ha3  seemed  to  me  that  it  might  be  to  ediiication  to 
preach  ou  the  subject  again,  in  this  house,  in  view  of 
the  high  importance  of  the  subject,  and  of  the  interest 
that  is  felt  in  it  among  all  classes  of  the  people. 

(3f  the  three  portions  of  Scripture  composing  my  text, 
two  are  from  the  Old  Testament,  and  refer  to  and  are  des- 
criptive of  a  part  of  the  temple  service: — of  course,  I  am 
aware  of  the  diflSculty  and  danger  of  reasoning  from  what 
was  customary  and  enjoined  as  part  of  the  temple  service 
under  the  old  ceremonial  dispensation,  to  what  should 
be  part  of  the  church  service  under  the  new  Christian 
dispensation.  The  other  portion  of  the  text  is  from  the 
New  Testament,  and  may  be  supposed  to  refer  to  the 
customary  mode  of  praising  God  in  the  primitive  Apos- 
tolical Cluirches : — of  course,  I  do  not  suppose  that  the 
singing  of  psalms,  hymns  and  spiritual  songs,  in  the 
primitive  places  of  worship  of  the  primitive  Christians, 
should  1)0  hi'l  1  to  be  the  only  proper  mode  of  praising 
God  in  the  Christian  Church.  In  both  cases,  however, 
the  danger  of  making  some  serious  mistake,  is  greater 
in  seeming  than  in  fact  —  tlie  exercise  of  a  little  plain 
common  sense  readily  bringing  order  out  of  confusion, 
and  separating  the  truth  from  the  falsehood.  How  any 
Christian,  taking  the  whole  Scriptures  for  his  guide, 
can  draw  the  conclusion  from  them  that  choirs  are  for- 
bidden In  the  Christian  Church,  and  that  instruments  of 
music  of  all  kinds  art'  especially  forbidden,  I  cannot 
sec.  1  know  that  it  Is  not  likely  there  were  choirs 
in  the  Christian  Churches  when  they  were  lirst  planted 
by  the  AjHistles  ;  and  more  unlikely  still,  that  there 
were    instrumenlti    of    juusic:     l)ut  there  were  not,  as    1 


conceive,  lor  other  reasons  than  because  choirs  and 
instruments  of  music  were  sinful  and  forbidden  thinn^s. 
And,  on  the  other  hand,  how  any  Christian,  taking  the 
whole  Scriptures  for  his  guide,  can  draw  the  conclusion 
from  them,  that,  in  the  public  worship  of  God  in  the 
Christian  Church,  choirs  of  singers  with  all  manner  of 
musical  instruments,  should  take  into  their  hands  the 
whole  duty  of  praising  God,  making  silent  auditors  of 
the  congregation,  I  cannot  see.  I  know,  that  in 
the  Temple  service  the  choir,  of  singers  with  all  man- 
ner of  musical  instruments,  chosen  of  God  and  set  apart 
to  this  very  duty,  had  in  charge  ch'efly  the  public 
praises  of  the  sanctuary,  the  people  making  only  respon- 
ses, and  sino^ino-  in  the  choruses.  But  there  was  a  rea- 
son  for  this  then  and  there  that  does  not  exist  here  and 
now.  The  Temple  and  the  temple-service  have  passed 
away  forever :  and  it  were  every  whit  as  unnatural  to 
seek  to  introduce  that  feature  of  the  temple  service  into 
our  churches,  as  to  seek  to  introduce  the  burning  of 
incense,  or  the  offering  of  the  morning  and  evening 
sacrifices. 

The  three  leading  truths  taught  me  by  the  three  pas- 
sages of  Scripture  composing  my  text,  and  that  I  pro- 
pose to  teach  you,  are  First,  the  duty  of  praising  God, 
as  part  of  the  public  worship  of  the  Church.  Second, 
the  duty  of  all  the  people  engaging  in  praising  God. 
Third,  the  duty,  if  need  be,  of  having  choirs  of  singers, 
wdth  musical  instruments,  to  lead  and  assist  the  people, 
that  the  praises  of  the  sanctuary  may  be  as  nearly  perfect 
as  can  be. 

First,  the  duty  of  pralslnrj  God  in  Go(Ts  Jtoiise.  Of 
course,  by  "  praising  God,"  I  mean,  singing  God's  praises. 
And  of  course,  by  "  singing  God's  praises,"  I  mean  all 
that  is  included  in  singing  Psalms,  Hymns  and  spiritual 


8 

dougri,  tu  tliL'  praise  vt'  God,  and  to  Christian  edilicatiun. 
Many  of  the  Psalms,  Hymns,  and  sacred  songs,  sung  in 
our  churches,  and  most  approved  by  the  people,  do  not 
offer  ascriptions  of  praise  to  Gud  directly :  some  are 
didactic,  some  are  descriptive,  some  are  historical,  some 
are  doctrinal,  some  hortatory,  etc.,  etc.  But  nevertheless, 
they  all  do,  directly  or  indirectly,  offer  ascriptions  of 
praise  to  God.  And  it  is  refemng  to  these  things  when 
I  say,  that  it  is  a  duty  to  praise  God  in  God's  house, 
bv  sincrino:. 

How  or  why  God  is  praised  by  singing  over  his 
praises,  rather  than  by  speaking  of  them  s imply,  or  by 
silently  meditating  upon  them,  is  one  of  those  (questions 
we  are  not  required  to  trouble  ourselves  to  answer.  The 
fact  is  that  he  is:  and  that  settles  the  question,  and  at 
the  same  time  determines  our  duty  respecting  it.  One 
of  the  principal  things  in  the  temple  service  was  offering 
praises  to  God  by  the  choir  and  by  the  congregation  of 
the  people :  and  the  praises  that  were  so  sung  there, 
under  the  golden  ceilings,  and  before  the  Holy  of  holies, 
were  of  the  same  miscellaneous  character  as  the  Psalms, 
Hymns  and  Spiritual  Songs,  we  sing  in  our  liumbler 
churches.  And  that  that  stands  cmt  prominently  chiefest 
in  the  earliest  account  we  have  of  the  worship  of  the 
Cliristians  in  the  age  succeeding  the  apostolic,  is  their 
praises  sung  to  (Jod  in  Christ.  It  is  (^od's  will  that  in 
His  House  the*  people  should  call  to  mind  lIiniseJj\  His 
character.  His  attributes,  love,  mercy,  truth,  justice,  com- 
passion, j)o\ver.  wisdom, — and  sing  them  over  t«>  His 
praise:  tliat  they  should  call  t«»  mind  His  doings, —  His 
dealings  with  them,  with  theirs,  with  others,  with  His 
church,  with  His  enemies,  with  nati.»ns.  and  sing  them 
over  to  His  ]>raise  :  that  they  should  call  to  mind  His 
O'ospel, —  its  doctrines,  its   bh'ssings,   its  contlicts,    its  tri- 


9 

umphs, —  and  sing  of  it  to  His  praise :  that  they  should 
call  to  mind  His  churcli^  —  its  planting,  its  growth,  its 
strength,  its  beauty,  its  glory, — and  sing  of  it  to  His 
praise  :  that  they  should  call  to  mind  His  people^ — their 
faith,  their  love,  their  zeal,  their  patience,  their  prayers, 
their  good  works,  their  trials  and  temptations,  their  joys 
and  doubts  and  fears,  —  and  sing  of  them  to  His  praise. 
It  pleases  God  and  glorifies  Him  to  have  these  his  praises 
sung  in  tlie  pjiblic  congregation:  and  therefore  it  is  the 
duty  of  the  people  to  sing  them.  And  there  is  a  reflex 
influence  for  good  on  the  j^eople :  the  very  act  of  prais- 
ing God  by  singing,  in  these  various  ways,  opens  the 
heart  of  him  who  sings  these  praises,  mellows  it,  draws 
it,  and  prepares  it  by  the  grace  of  God  accompanying 
every  duty  done,  to  do  still  further  of  God's  good  plea- 
sure. And  this,  in  fact,  may  be  the  reason  why  it  is 
God's  will  that  His  praises  should  be  suiig — not  spoken, 
nor  meditated  upon,  but  sung  in  the  congregation :  the 
very  act  of  singing  them  —  according  to  the  constitution 
of  our  nature  to  be  more  or  less  moved  by  the  melo- 
dies we  sin^:  and  hear  suns;  —  brino-ino;  us  to  the  state 
of  mind  in  sympathy  with  what  we  sing:  and  therefore 
most  pleasing  to  God  that  we  should  have.  But  this 
anticipates  what  I  shall  have  to  say  under  another 
head.  Without  further  remark  therefore,  I  leave  here 
the  duty  of  singing  God's  praise  in  God's  house,  to 
speak, 

Second,  of  the  duty  of  all  the  people  to  praise  God. 
*'  Let  all  the  people  praise  thee,  O  God :  let  all  the 
people  praise  thee."  This  is  emphatic ;  and  expresses, 
no  doubt,  the  very  mind  of  God  in  the  matter.  If  it 
is  —  as  it  was  shown  to  be  —  the  duty  of  the  people  to 
praise  God  in  the  sanctuary,  then  it  is  the  duty  of  all 
the  people  to    praise    him,   unless    some    can  show   good 


10 

and  sufficient  cause  wliy  they,  in  particular,  should  not. 
I  will  not  say  that  there  may  nut  be  exceptions :  but  I 
will  say  tliat  they  should  be  held  as  *'  exceptions/'  not 
as  the  rule :  and  I  will  say  also  this,  that  the  rule 
properly  applied,  the  exceptions  will  be  found  to  be  few. 
For  the  full  performance  of  this  duty,  there  are  two  or 
three  prerequisites,  which  I  will  noticej  One  of  these 
prerequisites,  is  the  ablUiy  of  the  people  to  praise  God. 
And  here  there  will  be  irreat  diversity  of  opinion  as  tu 
what  constitutes  ability.  I  may  think  I  have  the  ability 
to  praise  God  in  sinLrinir :  and  my  brother,  whose  ear 
is  more  finely  attuned  than  mine,  and  better  culti- 
vated, may  think  I  have  not.  Or  I  may  think  I  have 
not  the  abilitv  to  ]>raise  God  bv  sinixiuir:  and  mv  bro- 
ther,  whose  sense  of  the  divine  harmonies  of  music  is 
less  perfect  than  mine,  may  tliink  that  I  have.  How 
shall  we  decide  cuncernini^  this  thing?  As  to  this,  the 
standard  of  ability  not  being  given  by  divine  authority, 
I  can  only  say  as  Paul  said  of  a  certain  thing,  I  have 
no  commandment  of  the  Lord:  yet  I  give  \w<  jud<jments 
as  one  that  hath  obtained  mercy  of  the  Lord  to  be  faitli- 
ful.  My  "judgment''  is,  that  the  standard  of  ability  to 
praise  God  by  singing  may  he  a  rcry  low  one :  so  low, 
as  to  include,  even  now,  ninety-nine  hundredths  of  every 
promiscuous  congregation  of  worshippers.  Xot  that  it 
would  nut  be  better  if  there  were  no  necessity  for  bring- 
ing the  standard  down  so  low :  and  not  that  it  is  nut 
the  duty  of  the  people  to  raise  the  standard  as  high 
and  as  fast  as  they  can ;  but  that,  taking  the  people  as 
they  are,  the  standard  (»f  ability  to  sing  God's  ]»ralses, 
may  be  very  low,  and  nearly  all-com})ri'hendItig. 

This  may  very  pussibly  seem,  to  some  of  the  nnisically 
gifted  and  higly  cultivated  of  my  audience,  as  a  vulgar, 
if  not  indeed  a  profane  judgment,  concerning  as  it  does 


a 

the   public    worship   of   Almighty   God.     Be    that  as   it 
may,  it  is  the  judgment  deliberately  and  solemnly  formed, 
of  one  whose  ear  for  music  is  not  as  that  of  the  "  deaf 
adder " :    who   is    passionately  fond  of  music :    who   has 
had  many  opportunities  of   hearing    the    best    music,   in 
the    Xew    and    in    the   Old  World,  sacred    and  profane. 
If  the  judgment  be  a  sin  against  good  taste,  and  a    sin 
against  the  reverence  due  to  the  majesty  of  God,  it  is, 
in  both  cases,  a   sin  of  peculiar  aggravation,  being  com- 
mitted deliberately  in    the    broad   daylight.      And  I   am 
prepared    to  add   to  it  the  further   sin    of  this    declara- 
tion,   many  times    made   in    private,  and    now  made    in 
public,  that,  if   need  be  —  if  the  congregation    have    the 
will  to  sino\  and  are  sino-ins:  to  the  best  of  their  ability, 
and  one   or   the   other    must  be  foregone  —  I  had  rather, 
in  the  house  of   God,  have  congregational  singing,  even 
of  the    most  ^'  boisterous    Methodist    character,"   than    a 
dumb  congregation  and  the  finest  choir  performance  that 
was  ever  heard  within  the  walls  of  a  church.     Of  course 
I    am    speaking  of  the  habitual  church  service.      I    am 
prepared  to  admit  every  thing  to  the  advocates  of  exclu- 
sive  choir   singing    as    to  the  ariistiG  superiority  of  the 
music  of  the  choir:  but,  in  my  judgment,  nothing  of  the 
kind   does  or  can  compensate  for  the  absence  of  congre- 
gational singing : — an  ounce  of  gold  is,  in  the  market,  a 
hundred  times  more  valuable  than  a  pound  of  bread  ;  but 
on  the  table,  for  eating,  to  them  who  are  famishing  with 
hunger,  the  pound  of  bread    is    a   thousand   times  more 
valuable  than  the  ounce  of  gold.     The  cpiestion   between 
exclusive    choir,  and   congregational    singing,  is    not  one 
of  "  artistic    merit,"  but  of  fitness :    tried  by  this  rule, 
the  rudest  singing  by  the  wdiole  congregation,  must  bear 
off  the  palm  from  the  most  perfect  musical  perlbrmance 
of  an  exclusive  choir. 


12 

I  need  say  no  more  to  convince  you,  that,  in  my 
judgment,  the  standard  of  ability  of  the  congregation  "to 
praise  God  by  singing,  may  be  a  very  low  one :  so  low- 
as  to  include,  even  now,  ninety-nine  hundredths  of  eveiy 
promiscuous  assembly  of  worshippers.-'  But  I  would 
not  that  you  should  infer  from  this,  that  congregations 
of  worshippers  should  not  increase  their  abilit}'  to  sing 
God's  praises  more  worthily  than  they  can  sing  them 
now.  All  I  mean  by  what  was  said  is  this,  that  even 
now,  they  have  ability  sufficient  to  make  it  their  duty 
to  praise  God  by  singing  in  the  public  congregation. 
Then  to  this,  I  ^vill  add,  that  it  is  the  duty  of  all,  as 
far  as  it  can  be  done,  to  increase  their  ability  to  praise 
God:  by  studying  music,  those  who  can,  by  practicing 
singing,  by  learning  new  tunes,  and  in  all  other  ways 
that  occur  to  them.  So  that  the  standard  of  cougro- 
tcational  sinorinic,  thoni^h  as  widelv  inclusive  as  before, 
mav   not  necessarih'  be   a    *'  low ''  one. 

Another  prerequisite  to  the  performance  of  the  duty 
of  praising  God  by  all  the  people,  is  a  willijig  mind. 
Many  more  people  are  unwilling  to  sing  than  arj  unable 
to  sing.  Some  have  got  out  of  the  habit  of  singing ; 
some  do  not  feel  like  singing;  some  will  not  sing, 
because  others  are  singing;  some  are  afraid  to  sing ;  some 
are  ashamed  to  sing ;  some  are  too  proud  to  sing  ; 
some  do  not  sing  because  a  mock  modesty  tells  them 
they  sing  better  than  most,  and  that  if  they  sing  every- 
body will  be  listening  to  them ;  and  some  do  not  sing 
because  they  wish  U)  enjoy  the  harmonies  and  skillful 
executions  <>f  the  choir,  or  to  criticise  their  discords 
arid  failures.  In  looking  over  a  congregation  during 
singing,  I  have  seen  before  me  musical  ability  enough, 
and  more  than  enougli,  to  fill  the  house  with  nieloiiv; 
but   tlu'   willing   mind    was    wanting;    an-l,   though    God 


13 

was  bending  his  ear  to  catch  their  praises,  there  was 
silence  nearly  the  same  as  in  an  assembly  of  the  dumb. 
Ah  yes,  there  must  be  willingness  to  sing  ;  the  heart;^' 
wilKngness  of  each  man,  woman  and  child  to  do  what 
they  can,  denying  self,  and  putting  ofi"  the  fear  or 
man,  or  the  duty  of  praising  God  by  all  the  people 
will  not  be   done. 

And  one  other  prerequisite  to  the  duty  of  praising  God 
by  all  the  people,  is  tlie  joer-miasion  of  the  choir.  The 
choir  in  some  churches  is  the  first  estate  of  the  realm  ; 
supreme,  in  majestic  dignity  and  authorit}^,  over  the 
pulpit  and  the  congregation.  That  the  congi'egation  are 
silent  as  the  grave  from  praising  God,  is  a  thing  of 
no  moment;  that  the  pulpit  "plays  second  fiddle  to 
their  fij-st,"  is  a  matter  of  small  moment;  but  that 
the  choir  make  a  magnificent  performance,  is  a  matter 
of  the  highest  moment !  ^'' Fiat  choeus  ;  ruat  coelum!''' 
is  their  motto ;  and,  it  must  be  confessed,  they  are 
consistent  in  living  up  to  it.  There  are  many  churches 
in  which  the  command  of  God  to  all  the  people  to 
praise  Him,  cannot  be  obeyed,  because  the  choirs  have 
the  congregations  by  the  throat,  and  say  to  them,  '•  You 
shall  not  sing  a  note,  under  penalty  of  our  grand  dis- 
pleasure !  "  condescendingly  adding,  '"Little  people 
shonld  be  seen,  not  heard."  When  preaching  in  some  of 
these  churches,  I  have  also  had  the  kindness  done  me 
bv  the  choirs  to  have  mv  hvmns  selected  for  me,  and 
sent  into  the  pulpit,  without  even  troubling  me  to  ask 
my  per.Lission  I  Of  course,  under  such  a  regime,  neith- 
er pastor  nor  people  can  praise  God  except  by  jper- 
mission.  How  this  permission  is  to  be  obtained,  where 
it  is  denied,  by  a  petition  for  a  restc>ration  of  rights,  or 
by  a  coup  d?  etat^  as  in  France,  followed  by  the  guillo- 
tine, or  a  decree  of  banishment  against  the  tyrants,  the 


14 

people  must  deteniiine.  And,  to  my  thinkiDg,  when 
mild  remonstrances  are  scorned,  any  measm-e,  not  in 
itself  sinful,  may  be  used  by  a  people  against  a  choir 
that  has  gagged  them  into  silence,  to  get  back  their 
right  to  praise  God.  I  have  seen  congregations  assem- 
ble in  the  spirit  of  true  devotion,  having  it  in  their 
hearts,  an<l  almost  bubbling  from  their  lips  to  praise 
God  as  with  one  voice ;  and  whose  wish  was  when 
the  hymn  was  given  out,  '*0  that  it  was  permitted 
us  here  to  sins:!"  or,  '' O  that  the  choir  would  sine; 
some  thing  we  know,  and  in  which  we  cuuld  join !  " 
But  the  law  of  that  church  was  that  the  choir  alone 
shall  sing  ;  or,  the  choir  sing  something  the  people  do 
not  know,  are  not  expected  to  know,  are  not  even  de- 
sired to  know ;  and  there  tlie  congi*egation  sit  or  stand 
voiceless^  staring  at  their  bouks  like  silent  fools,  tlie 
spirit  of  praise  dying  out  in  tlieir  hearts,  and  in  the 
hearts  of  not  a  few  a  spirit  of  malediction  rising  that 
utters  curses,  not  loud  but  deep,  against  the  wrong.  Tlie 
blindness  c»f  choirs  to  the  prolaue  injustice  of  not  })cr- 
mitting  the  people  to  praise  God  ;  and  to  the  exceeding 
folly  of  making  men  and  women  angry  prejudiced 
critics  before  performing  before  them,  is  most  anuizing. 
With  this,  however,  here,  I  have  notliing  to  do ;  only 
with  the  fact,  that,  where  it  exists,  the  prerequisite  i»f 
permission  from  the  choir  must  be  obtained  before  the 
command  of  God  to  all  the  peo])le  to  praise  him  can  be 
obeyed. 

The  three  prerequisites  are,  '•  ability,"  ''  willingness,-' 
''  permission ; ''  a  congregation  possessing  all  these,  is 
in  a  condition  to  receive  the  coniniand:  Lvt  aU  the 
people  praise  thee,  ()  God;  let  all  ilic  people  praise 
thee! 


15 

The  Third  truth  from  the  text,  is  the  duty,  if  need 
be,  of  having  choirs  of  singers  with  players  on  instru- 
ments, to  lead  and  assist  the  people,  that  the  praises 
ol  the  sanctuary  may  be  as  nearly  perfect  as  can  be. 
To  this   truth  too   objections   are  made. 

One  of  the  objections  is  made  by  those  who  are 
opposed  to  choirs,  and  are  especially  opposed  to  instru- 
ments of  music  in  choirs,  on  the  ground  that  God's 
praises  cannot  thereby  be  played  or  sung;  and,  w^hat 
is  singular,  this  objection  comes  most  frequently  from 
those  who  sing  only  David's  Psalms,  that,  in  the  an- 
cient church,  were  always  sung  by  a  clwir^  accompanied 
by  all  manner  of  musical  instruments.  To  me  the 
objection  has  no  force,  in  fact  no  meaning.  I  know 
that  God's  praises  have  been  played  and  sung  by 
choirs ;  I  know  that  it  w^as  done  by  God's  own  ex- 
press command ;  and  I  cannot  understand  why  what 
was  praise  then,  should  be  profanity  now.  Further- 
more, I  see  God's  blessing  resting,  and  resting  largely, 
and  lovingly,  on  those  churches  in  which  there  are 
choirs  of  singers  with  instruments  of  music,  and  I 
cannot  believe  that  this  would  be  if  choirs  and  their 
adjuncts   were   profan'e. 

The  other  objection  to  choirs  is,  that  they  are  open 
to  abuse.  This  objection  I  understand.  But  when  will 
the  time  come  when  it  need  no  longer  be  said,  that  the 
abuse  of  a  thing  is  no  valid  objection  to  its  use  ? 
Where  is  the  good  thing  that  has  not  been  abused  ? 
That  there  is  a  tendency  in  choirs,  in  good  choirs  es- 
pecially, to  a  concentration  of  power,  and  to  an  abuse  of 
their  privileges,  all  the  world  knows  ;  but  it  does  not 
therefore  follow,  that  choirs  should  be  abated  as  nuisan- 
ces. I  understand  a  choir  to  be  to  a  church  very  much 
what  a  wife  is  to  a  man,    ^'  a  helpmeet ; "    something  for 


16 

everv  wortliv  man  to  have ;  Bomethinir  for  everv  srood 
church  to  have ;  and  the  better  the  wife,  and  the  choir, 
the  more  fortunate  the  man  and  the  church.  Xow  that 
wives  do  sometimes  abuse  tlieir  privileges,  and  k>rd  it 
over  their  husbands,  there  is  no  doubt ;  but  this  wouhi 
be  no  sutHcient  reason  to  those  who  have  good  wives 
to  seek  to  be  rid  of  tlicm  ;  nor  to  those  unhappy  men 
who  have  no  wives,  but  might  get  good  ones,  to  refuse 
to  nuirrv.  I  have  no  sympathy  with  the  (.ibjection  to 
choirs,  that  they  nuiy,  aye,  that  there  is  even  a  tend- 
ency in  them  to  abuse  their  privileges  and  lord  it  over 
the  congregations.  If  it  could  be  shown  that  choirs 
cannot  l)e  controlled,  will  not  keep  their  place,  and, 
that,  even  under  judicious  management,  the  resulting 
evils  are  greater  tlian  the  gool,  then  1  would  join  in 
the  hue  and  cry  to  hunt  choirs  out  of  every  church  in 
the  land ;  l)ut  this  has  not  and  cannot  be  shown.  The 
objection  is  clearly  one  that  has  two  sides ;  and  the 
better  side  is  just  as  clearly  on  tlie  side  of  choirs.  They 
are  open  to  abuses,  to  abuses  thiit  may  make  them 
curses  to  the  chm*ches,  but  these  abuses  need  not  continue 
to  exist ;  choirs  without  the  abuses,  are  not  only  a 
possibility,  l)ut  an  actuality.  Great  i)ractical  difficulties 
are  also  in  tlie  way  of  their  perfection,  and  of  the  per- 
fection of  their  working ;  difficulties  that  have  seemed 
insurmountable  to  some  ;  but  these  difficidties  have  been 
overcome  by  some  choirs  in  some  churches,  and  their 
practical  working  proved  to  the  satisfaction  of  all.  In 
the  settling  of  all  these  cpiestions,  very  much  depends 
on  a  right  appreliension  of  the  {position  of  the  clioir 
in   the   church,    ainl  of    its  duties. 

Jf  the  choir  were  an  independent  ])ower  in  the  clinrcli, 
elected  to  i)erform  the  music  of  the  church  to  the  best 
of  its    ability,    then    it    were    not    dilhcult  to    know  both 


17 

its   position   and   duties.     But  the  choir  is  no  such  "in- 
dependent power,"   and  is  not  elected  to  make  any  such 
"performance."     The   "position"  of  the   choir  is  at  the 
musical  head  of  the   congregation;  its   "duties"   are    to 
lead   and   assist  the  people,  to  the   end  that  the  praises 
of  the  house  of  God  may  be  as  nearly  perfect  as  can  be . 
I    have    spoken   of    the    choir   as   a     "  helpmeet "     to 
the    congregation    in     singing,  just    as    the   wife  is   the 
helpmeet   of  the   husband  in  the   duties   of  life.      I  will 
now   use   another  illustration.     So  far   as  congregational 
singing  to  any  good   purpose   is  concerned,   the  choir  is 
to  the   church    what    the    locomotive  is   to  the   train   of 
cars ;   the   locomotive   is    nothing  of    itself,   it    is   every- 
thing   to  draw   the  train   swiftly  and    safely  to  its   place 
of  destination ;  the   choir  is  nothing  of  itself,  it  is  every- 
thing to   lead   and  assist  the  congregation  to  praise  God 
worthily.     To   be   sure,  the  locomotive  is   a   master  piece 
of  ingenuity  and  skill,   the  mechanical  wonder  and  glory 
of  the   age  ;  but  to   what  end  was  it   made  ?     Certainly 
not  for  itself.     Certainly   not  to  go  snorting  up  and  down 
the   rails,   now    fast,   now    slow,   to   show   off   its  action 
and    speed.      Certainly    George   Stephenson    did   not   in- 
vent the  locomotive  for  such   fantastic  displays  as  these. 
But  there    was    ^vork  to  be   done,    a    great   work  to  be 
done,  work  that  only  the  locomotive  could  do  ;  tTierefore 
it  was  invented.     And  the  locomotive''s  place  is  at  the  head 
of  a  train  of  cars  ;   and  its  glory  is  to  draw  that  heavily 
ladened    train    swiftly    and    safely   over    the  rails   to  its 
destination.      And,   to   be    sure  a   choir,    of   gifted   and 
trained  singers,   with  instruments  of  music,  is  something 
most  admirable,  a  joy,  a  pride,  a  power,  to  any  church ; 
but  to   what  end  ?      Certainly    not  for   itself.     Certainly 
not  to  make   splendid  performances   to  gapiog   audiences 
in  church.     Certainlv  God  did  not    desie^n   the  choir  for 
such  foolish   displays    as   these.     But  there  was  a  work 


18 

to  be  clone  in  the  church — a  crreat  work  to  bo  done — 
a  work  that  only  the  choir  could  do ;  therefore  the 
choir  is.  Its  place  is  at  the  musical  head  of  the  con- 
gregation ;  and  its  work  and  glory  are  to  lead  and 
assist  the  people  to  praise  God  worthily.  The  locomo- 
tiye  that  would  disdain  to  be  coupled  to  its  train,  and 
draw  its  load,  would  be  above  its  business,  would  be 
unworthy  of  its  place,  and  should  be  taken  from  the 
road.  The  choir  that  disdains  to  bo  coupled  to  its  con- 
gregation, and  help  the  people  praise  God,  is  above  its 
business,  is  unworthy  of  its  place,  and  should  be  taken 
from  the  church.  Lord  Palmerston  defined  dirt  to  be 
"Anything  out  of  place  ; "  a  capital  definition;  accord- 
ing to  which  the  choir  galleries  of  not  a  few  churches 
are  badly  in  need  of  sweeping.  I  am  happy  to  know, 
that,  by  the  same  definition,  the  gallery  of  this  church 
is   clean.     God  grant  that  it  may  remain  so. 

It  is  quite  a  common  thing  to  de  nounce  choirs,  and 
to  throw  the  blame  of  poor  singing  in  church  on  the 
choirs.  Tliis  is  both  unjust  and  unkind,  in  many  instan- 
ces. There  are  few  positions  so  thankless  as  that  of 
chorister  in  a  choir  that  wishes  to  })erform  its  duty  for 
a  congregation  tliat  i.s  indifierent  to  its  duty  ;  sing  as 
that  choir  may,  and  sing  what  it  may,  there  will  still 
bo  some  to  find  fiiidt.  I  know  of  nothing,  tlien,  to 
meet  all  tlio  difiicnlties  in  the  case  —  difiiculties  in  the 
congregation  and  dilHculties  in  the  clioir  —  but  to  go 
back  and  get  down  to  the  three  great  truths  taught  in 
the  text,  viz:  Ol*  ^- ihc  duty  to  praise  Go  1  ;"  of  ^^  the 
duty  of  all  the  pooi)le  to  praise  Go  1  :"  of  ''  the  duty  of 
choirs  to  help  the  pooi)le  to  jjraise  God,"  Tliese  three 
duties  faithfully  anl  lovingly  attended  to,  all  dilliculties 
will  vanish  ;  congregations  will  not  hang  as  dead 
weights  on  choirs  ;  clioirs  will  not  cut  tlieniselves  oflf 
from  congregations  ;    and,   uniting  together  as  true  yoko- 


19 

fellows,  God's  praises  will  bo  sung  by  choir  aud  con- 
gregation so  as  not  unfitly  to  typify  the  praises  of  the 
redeemed  in  heaven. 

Permit  me  now,  in  conclusion,  to  say  a  few  words 
concerning  the  importance  of  this  part  of  the  public 
worship  of    God. 

Of  the  power  of  music,  I  need  say  nothing  ;  we 
have   all  felt  it  —  we  all  know  what  it  is. 

But  have  we  duly  considered  the  effects  of  musio 
before  preaGhing^  on  the  preaoher  and  on  the  hearers  f 
I  speak  but  simple  truth  when  I  say,  that  so  constitu- 
ted are  some  preachers,  that  they  cannot  preach  with 
any  satisfaction  after  bad  or  inappropriate  singing  ;  and 
that  so  constituted  are  some  hearers,  that  they  cannot 
hear  to  advantage  after  such  singing.  To  all  such,  good 
and  appropriate  singing  acts  as  a  charm,  bringing  their 
minds  and  hearts  into  the  happiest  sympathetic  relations 
with  the  subjeot  under  consideration,  and  the  people  with 
the  preacher  anl  the  preacher  with  the  people,  and 
lifting  preacher  and  people  out  of  themselves  and  above 
themselves.  Surely,  this  is  worth  considering  by  all. 
And,  Tvhen  the  sermon  is  ended,  the  impression  it  shall 
leave  on  the  hearers  depends  much  on  the  singing  of 
the  last  hymn.  Surely  this,  too,  is  worth  considering 
by  all.  Many  a  good  sermon  has  been  killed  by  the 
singing  of  the  last  hymn.  Many  a  ]^oor  sermon  has 
been  made  living  by  the  singing  of  the  last  hymn. — 
And,  independent  of  the  preaching,  whether  that  be  good 
or  bad,  the  singing  may  be,  and  in  innumerable  instan- 
ces has  been,  a  means  of  gi-ace.  Many  sinners,  who 
stood  out  boldly  against  the  preaching  of  the  cross,  have 
been  won  to  Jesus  by  the  singing  of  the  cross.  Con- 
viction, teaching,  penitence,  faith,  love,  —  God  has  again 
and   again  given   all    these   through  the   psalms,    hymns 


20 

and  spiritual  soDgs,  sung  by  the  congregations  in  liis 
house.  I  need  not  tell  vou  that  the  sino-inn:  of  these 
psalms,  hymns  and  spiritual  songs,  are  as  the  bread  and 
water  of  life  to  God's  own  people,  strengthening  them, 
encouraging  them,  gladdening  them,  drawing  them  close 
together  round  their  common  Lord,  and  drawing  out  their 
hearts  in  unspeakable  love  to  Jesus  their  glorious  Saviour. 
Surely,  by  all  this  is  also  worth  considering.  The  power, 
for  good  or  for  evil,  there  is  in  church  music,  is  one  no 
thoughtful  man — no  thoughtful  Christian  man,  especially 
—  can   lightly  disregard.     I  counsel,  then  : 

1.  A  thoughtful  consideration  of  the  whole  subject, 
by  the  whole  congregation,  and  by  the  choir. 

2.  An  earnest  purpose^  on  the  part  of  all,  to  do  the 
thing  that   is  for  the  best  common  good. 

3.  The  charity  that  thinketh  no  evil,  and  is  ready  to 
make  concessions,  including  the  cordial  working  together 
of  those  who  lead  in  singing  and  Ox^  those  who  are  led. 
And 

4.  In  and  with  all  these  things,  a  devout  reverence 
for  God,  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost,  making 
Ilis  will  the  supreme  law,  and  seeking  His  glory  first 
and  chiefest    in  every  song  of  praise  we  sing. 

We  need,  in  all  our  churches,  better  church  music. — 
The  taste  of  the  community  demands  better  church  music. 
Tlie  glory  of  God  demands  better  church  music.  And  if, 
in  the  right  spirit,  we  of  this  church  go  to  work  to  secure 
it  —  pastor,  peo[)le  and  choir,  working  together  with  a 
liearty  good  will  —  God's  blessing  will  surely  crown  our 
work.  I  wi.^li  to  have  a  choir,  of  singers  and  i)layers 
on  instninicnts,  second  to  none.  And  I  wish  to  heiu* 
every  man,  woman  and  child,  in  (he  congregation,  singing 
with  the  choir,  and  making  melody  in  their  hearts  to 
the  Lord. 


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